After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

The conversation between the two servants outside did not affect the progress inside. After Tu Bai left, the Second Master, Gu Jingnian, carefully examined the contract and, after confirming there were no errors or omissions, smiled with satisfaction. He said to Gu Liunian, "The people my elder brother has trained are indeed capable."

Gu Liunian understood his implied meaning, but he ignored it, seeing no need to create unnecessary trouble at this time. "Since you have no objections, the Gu family also has a three-courtyard house on East Street, which should be enough for you to live in. If you wish, you can move there; if not, I will give you three hundred taels of silver to furnish it."

The couple exchanged a glance and unanimously chose the courtyard on East Street. That courtyard was built by the old man when he was alive. The overall layout was very good, and it was his intended residence for his retirement. Naturally, he had put a lot of thought into it. Three hundred taels of silver could not buy it, not to mention the various furniture and decorations, which were far more expensive than supermarket prices.

This is also why Gu Liunian made this suggestion. He was certain that, given their personalities, they would choose that courtyard. That courtyard was excellent in every way, except that it was almost a city away from the Gu residence on West Street. However, for them, this might not be a disadvantage, but rather an advantage!

“Since you’ve chosen that place, I’ll have someone deliver the deed to you in a bit.” Gu Liunian stroked the cup, feeling the patterns on it.

Second Master Gu Jingnian was not the kind of person who was oblivious to the situation, and he immediately said, "Then Wang Shi and I will go back and pack up, and we'll move in a day or two." Wang Shi also stood up and bowed.

Gu Liunian did not answer, but the old lady who had been listening spoke up: "Go!"

After the two left, the old lady asked, "Where is Yu-ge'er's mother?"

Gu Liunian said helplessly to his mother, "I called her, but she said she couldn't come because she wanted to play with Yu-ge'er."

The old lady chuckled upon hearing this, "That's just like her personality. She won't worry about things that don't concern her. She doesn't have any messy thoughts!"

Gu Liunian raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting her mother to have such a high opinion of Lin Hao.

Understanding her son's meaning, the old lady said, "Don't underestimate her. Although she only plays with Yu-ge'er every day, have you ever seen her courtyard in a mess? In fact, every servant in the mansion speaks highly of her!"

"Even here with me, since she recovered from her illness, she hasn't missed a single day. She's either making some new food, telling me jokes, or taking walks with me. It's not that I want to compare, but compared to her sister, she's more genuine. Even Yunfei jokingly said that she stole her work, and although it was a joke, it's really true."

Seeing her son's thoughtful expression, the old lady continued, "And speaking of Yu-ge'er, you see, with her around, not to mention you, even I have to take a step back! You know Yu-ge'er, he's a very clever little man, he knows exactly who's good and who's bad."

Seeing her son deep in thought about the problem, the old lady didn't disturb him, and the two of them were lost in their own thoughts.

After thinking for a while, Gu Liunian noticed that his mother was looking at him and seemed a little uncomfortable, so he changed the subject and said, "Mother, aren't you going to ask me how I allocated the money?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady waved her hand and said, "What's there to ask? It's just the property your father owned when he was alive. You're not going to give it all to him, so what do I have to worry about?"

Gu Liunian chuckled, "Mother is right, it's just that your son is dull-witted."

“It’s not that you’re dull-witted. It’s just that at my age, I’ve become more open-minded. Plus, I have no worries about food and clothing, so I don’t need to be so calculating about everything. I understand the principle that the moon wanes when it’s full and water overflows when it’s full! If our family were a poor family that had to worry about three meals a day, I’m afraid I would be no different from those petty and vulgar servants now.”

Gu Liunian nodded. Her mother was right. Dignity required sufficient wealth to maintain; one couldn't expect someone who was starving to maintain an elegant demeanor.

The old lady picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "For generations, our family has been telling our descendants to treat their subordinates well. It's all about betting on people's hearts. Those who know how to be grateful will naturally know to serve their master. Those who don't know how to be grateful shouldn't be driven to the brink. Giving someone a way out is also helping yourself. Where do the wicked and vicious people find their moral bottom line? How can ceramics clash with earthenware?"

“Mother is right, I have learned a lot.” Gu Liunian nodded in agreement.

"You don't need to play the innocent card with me. The second son and his wife passed away so easily. Do you think I don't know what happened?" The old lady glanced at her son's respectful demeanor and spoke with a hint of anger in her voice.

Gu Liunian coughed slightly, feeling a little awkward. Of course, he knew that he couldn't hide this from his mother.

"Alright, I don't have anything else to do here. If you're busy outside, go ahead and do your thing. If you're not busy and it's rare for you to be home, go back and keep Yu-ge'er company, so he won't always act like a mouse seeing a cat when he sees you." Seeing that her son was uncomfortable, the old lady knew his personality and stopped teasing him, urging him to go back.

Gu Liunian had intended to spend more time with his mother, but seeing her like this, he didn't want to linger, so he took his leave. He didn't even realize that his pace was a little faster than usual!

The old lady's wrinkles deepened as she looked at him. Seeing Gu Liunian emerge, Yun Fei, who was guarding the door, bowed and greeted him. Gu Liunian paused, then nodded slightly. Yun Fei hurried inside to serve him, and seeing the smile in the old lady's eyes, she couldn't help but say, "The old lady is so happy with the master's arrival; she seems to be in even better spirits!"

"You're so good with words!" the old lady said with a smile. "I see that life is getting better and better!"

Yun Fei pretended not to understand the old lady's implied meaning, and while massaging the old lady's legs, she said, "Look at what you're saying, old lady. Of course, life is getting better and better. You have a son as capable as the master, a daughter-in-law as filial as the madam, and a grandson as cute and sensible as the young master. Many people would kill for such a life! You are simply a lucky star descended from heaven!"

The old lady glanced at her and said, "You're the smartest!"

Yun Fei feigned innocence, "That's right, I'm one of the smartest people in this courtyard. Otherwise, how could I be the one serving you? Rongshou Hall isn't a place anyone can just walk into. Only someone as clever as me is worthy of you, isn't that right?"

Her witty banter made the old lady even happier, and she pointed at her forehead, laughing and saying, "You, you!"

Yun Fei pressed on, "Me? Me? I'm the smartest one!"

The old lady was overjoyed to hear this!